Month: April 2016

Surprise, surprise: another head-to-toe pre-loved outfit. Hey, don’t run yet! I promise I won’t beat you over the head with my usual mantras today. Let’s just look at this cute outfit, ‘kay? The skirt was an impulse-ish buy on eBay; I’ve been collecting “old” Anthro skirts lately, and this one struck my fancy while I was looking for a different one. I managed to score it for around $40 CDN (shipping included), which is a small miracle these days.

when in doubt, vogue

Here’s something you probably didn’t know about me: I was super into philately as a kid. I think it was a popular pastime back in the Old Country in communist times, because I inherited a number of stamp collections from BOTH my mom and dad, and then added my own. I spent HOURS arranging and re-arranging them — by themes, countries, you name it. Wearing this skirt reminded me of them, so it was a nice trip down memory lane.

This dress is very pink. I obviously (?) must have realized that when I bought it, but it didn’t faze me until I tried to figure out how to wear it to work. Pink at the office is tricky for me, because I’m afraid it skews too young and girly (which, admittedly, can be said about my style in general). Add ruffles, and – oy vey. Black would be the obvious solution, but I wanted to try something different this time. I played around with a few options from my shockingly extensive blazer collection, and this greige — is greige still a thing? — Theory one looked surprisingly good. Like, whoa. This was an outfit I loved wearing, and it’s going on my shortlist for 2016 faves.

close-uplady in pink

I also like because, minus the shoes, it was all secondhand. In fact, the dress and blazer together cost me only $15. Feeling and looking good really doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. I know you guys are sick of hearing me drone on about it but I’m like one of those MLM people on your FB feed — I’m on a mission … to convert you to the joys of thrifting. Sooner or later, you’ll give in … *cue evil laugh*

What, ANOTHER thrifting post? I know, I know. I’ve been doing a LOT of thrifting lately, you guys. Not in terms of time — most of my stop-ins are only 15-20 minutes long — so much as in terms of frequency. I’ve started going at least once or twice a week, and it’s become one of my fave ways to relax after a stressful day. Kinda like reading a fashion mag, and admiring the pretty clothes … except that I get to take my favourite finds home with me, and play dress-up. That never gets old for some reason. My closet is bursting at the seams, but that’s a problem for another day. It’s why garage sales exist, right?

So, hey, you wanna see what I’ve been finding lately?

(Side note: there are tons of cool things I find but don’t buy for various reasons — wrong size, wrong style,etc. — but I’ve stopped taking photos because I don’t have time. I gotta use my 15 minutes efficiently, if you know what I mean.)

Nathalie Lete dress ($12)

Technically, this wasn’t thrifted, but for the price it might as well have been. A Plato’s Closet opened here a while back, and I ended up taking a friend there recently to check it out. Most of their stuff is not age-appropriate/lifestyle-appropriate for me, but I couldn’t resist this dress. I have a couple of other Nathalie Lete pieces, and I adore her whimsical prints. This dress fit perfectly, even though it’s a strapless dress, so I thought it would make a nice “date night” outfit this summer.

St. John knit blazer ($6)

I know St. John is a big hit with dedicated thrifters, but I have rarely come across pieces here in town. I was drawn to the peacoat-like styling of this knit blazer (a size 6, but it’s large enough to be a coat), and it was in such amazing condition, I had to buy it. Once I performed shoulder pad “surgery” on it, it looked a million times better. I’m curious to see if I can pull this one off IRL. To be continued.

Cartonnier wool pants ($6)

These Anthro brand pants were another style gamble. I am not comfortable with the whole wide leg silhouette, but I liked the fit of the high waist, and the quality was excellent (wool, lined), so I decided it was worth trying for $6 (plus another $20 for hemming). I’ve already worn them once, and liked how they looked, so I think I could get used to them in time.

River Island top, $4

I rarely thrift for tops (there are too many racks, and I don’t have the time), but this pretty floral peplum jumped out at me. I think it will be cute in the summer. It’s floral, what could go wrong?

Romeo & Juliet Couture top ($5)

I’m less sure about this striped top, but for $5 I wasn’t going to overthink it. Until recently, I had no striped tops in my closet (save for my Gap tee that’s showing its constant wear from my last mat leave). Hard to believe, right? Bloggers love striped shirts. I love them, too, but I’ve had trouble finding the right kind of stripe. (Long story short, they have to be the right thickness and distance apart, otherwise they give me a headache). Anyway, this top looked promising, stripe-wise, even with the extra shoulder doodads. On the downside, it is rather longer than I need it to be, so we will see what happens. If I can’t live with the length, I’ll either try to DYI a hem, or I’ll give it to a taller friend.

Fei skirt ($7)

I never pass up Anthro brand skirts — especially when they’re under $10.

Talbots jacket ($8)

I don’t wear pink so I don’t know what possessed me to buy this, except that the silhouette is cute, and apparently I have a blazer hoarding problem. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.

Talbots blazer ($8)

More stripes. Not sure if a candy cane striped blazer is the most versatile thing, but this one is comfortable as heck, and it was only $8.

Ralph Lauren knit blazer ($5)

My friend made me buy this, and my inner prep ain’t mad about it.

Gap Academy blazer ($8)

Again, I’m not sure if coral is really my colour (it’s not), but it IS a cute colour for summer. The fit was perfect, and my inner blazer hoarder was all, like, “do it — do it now!”

Joseph Ribkoff dress ($8)

I actually bought this for a friend, then realized it was too small for her. Coincidentally, it fits me very well. Hmm.

S-12 dress ($10)

The print of this dress may be a little ho-hum, but two things made me buy it. One, it has a really cool, retro silhouette — blousy top, pencil skirt bottom, midi length. Two, the label (which I don’t recognize) indicates it was made in the USA, which is always a nice find.

Postmark top, $3.50; William Rast Jeans, $7

Instant outfit, am I right? Found both these pieces at the Sherwood Park VV, and they were too good (and the price too low) to pass them up even though (a) I don’t really need another pair of jeans, and (b) balloon print tops are probably way out of my age range. Whatevs.

Joe Fresh faux leather jacket ($10)

I’ve actually been casually looking for a leather moto jacket for ages, but never found one I liked in terms of both style and price. Especially price. Since I didn’t expect a moto jacket to become a staple in my wardrobe, I didn’t want to pay a lot for one. This Joe Fresh version is not real leather, but feels really darn nice, and the design is classic and simple. For $10, it was a no brainer.

Aaaand, I’m done. Phew. As warned, that was a bit of thrifting overload. Let me know what you think of my finds, and ask me any thrifting-related questions on your mind.